FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT TALL SHIPS - PAGE 3

Chicago's best seafaring traditions caught fresh wind this summer when a new four-masted schooner arrived at Navy Pier. Christened "Windy of Chicago," its classic lines will become a part of Chicago's lakefront in summers to come, showing locals and visitors alike what the heyday of commercial sail on the Great Lakes was like. The Windy is the first new tall ship Chicagoans have seen in 75 years. The first four-masted schooner built in the U.S. since 1921, it is the only certified four-masted sailing vessel in the U.S. It was designed and built for Navy Pier, had its maiden voyage in June and joined Chicago's fleet of 42 sightseeing and commercial cruise ships in July.

The Thought Industry Short Wave on a Cold Day (Metal Blade) What can you say about a band that records for a heavy-metal label, favors the abrasive, guitar-based art-rock of early XTC and King Crimson and also aspires to the lush tunefulness of '80's New Wave? Well, while Thought Industry won't cut it in today's narrowly segmented music scene, over its 12-year career this Kalamazoo quintet has been a beacon of interesting, genre-be-damned music making in the manner of pop anomalies like King's X and Masters of Reality.

Extravagant celebrations are curious beasts, even when David Wolper and ABC aren`t organizing them. At a wedding in New Jersey some years ago, the bridesmaids were sighted carrying live parrots, each dyed a pastel hue and transported in color-coordinated wicker cages. In Ft. Lee, N.J., at least, it was thought to be a brilliant stroke. Memories of that ceremony came back Thursday night as ABC, which paid $10 million for a measure of exclusivity at the 100th anniversary party for the Statue of Liberty, began its 17 1/2 hours of coverage over four days from Governor's Island.

Though it was surely impossible to steal the show from Lady Liberty on her own very special weekend, there have been some spectacular distractions, among them Friday night's ear-popping and brilliant fireworks display in New York Harbor, the largest pyrotechnics show ever staged in this country. But even that extravaganza may have been eclipsed earlier in the day by the quiet, dignified parade of the tall ships up the Hudson River. The sight of the 23 sleek sailing vessels, some of them antiques and others meticulous reproductions of classic designs, highlighted New York's gala 4th of July celebration while recalling a similar, although smaller, procession that marked the city's commemoration of the nation's bicentennial in 1976.

This country is known worldwide for its whiskey and woolens, both invented in reaction to the cold. And it is often a chill, sometimes dour place, to which any golfer who has faced the fierce winds of its famous courses will attest. But in July and August, those months of fleeting summer, the country, and particularly its capital city of Edinburgh, bloom in the sunshine. This summer Edinburgh is going all out to attract a wide array of visitors during its time in the sun, beginning with an international Tall Ships race.

With square-rigged sails aloft and all hands at their stations, a wondrous fleet of tall ships from all over the world will glide majestically into New York harbor Saturday morning, transfixing multitudes along the shore and in front of TV screens, just as they did in similar maritime parades here for the U.S. bicentennial in 1976 and the centennial of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. Awaiting them will be three small ships-a cargo ship and two little caravels, which arrived in New York Harbor last Friday.

BY MARGARET BACKENHEIMER, a travel writer based in Oregon | March 22, 1992

Note: Dates of all events, though correct at press time, are subject to change and cancellation. Would-be travelers should always check with the proper state and government tourist offices before starting out. OF SPECIAL NOTE This is the 500th anniversary of the Old World's discovery of the New, and events slated for 1992 provide plenty of chances for discoveries on both sides of the Atlantic. Two cities in Spain head the list. In sultry Seville, "The Age of Discoveries" highlights Expo `92 (April 20-Oct.

Joan K. Porter mastered accounting, systems engineering, sailing, singing--and jigsaw puzzles. "When she set her mind to something, it rarely didn't transpire," said her husband, Ches. Mrs. Porter, 60, of Wilmette, retired IBM systems engineer and a partner of Porter Technology Group, died of lung cancer Tuesday, Jan. 10, in Evanston Hospital. Born Joan Madden, she was raised in Evanston and received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Marquette University in 1967, the same profession chosen by her father, William.

Former Chicago comic Paul Gilmartin stars in a neat little gig on TBS' cinema/cooking show "Dinner & a Movie," in which he shares the stage with a female cohost. But last weekend he was grossly upstaged by some tall ladies on the lakefront. On the other hand, if it hadn't been for the draw of the Tall Ships at Navy Pier and in the Chicago River, there might have been no traffic at all for film tour spokesman Gilmartin and the Movies in Motion traveling exhibition. What the film exhibition had to offer was a breath of fresh air. No, really.

Since this is the time of year when many folks wish for presents, I thought it would be nice to offer my wishes. In keeping with genie rules, I'll limit myself to three. First, I hope that everyone in the Chicago area will take the time in 2005 to go on a boat ride on Lake Michigan. It doesn't matter if it's on one of the river-based or Navy Pier-based tour boats or even one of the tall ships, just go. There is nothing like seeing the city from the lake and pictures don't do it justice.